After feeling confused in every shoe store I walk into about what a kidney-bean shaped shoe looks like (they all look like kidney beans), I finally found a term that might help us: "last shape".
I know the word "last" was mentioned in Esther's blog post before, but I've now seen several sites on the internet divide lasts into three different shapes:
- straight
- semi-curved
- curved
Here's three examples of sites using this terminology (found via google images):
https://favoriterunshop.com/running-gear-review/run-gear/running-shoes-choose/
http://www.aapsm.org/runshoe-running-anatomy.html
http://walkwithoutpain.com.au/shoe-shape-pressure-corns/
So my question for the Gokhale instructors is this: is your mental image of the ideal kidney-bean-shaped shoe closer to the 'curved' or the 'semi-curved' last? If the line is a bit vague, what do you recommend we do?
Unfortunately, many shoe-shopping sites on the internet don't even let you see the bottom of the shoe. You can only guess at it
6 months 5 days ago
11/27/2011 - 10:29am
Hi Craig,
You pose a very interesting question and we should all pay more attention to our feet and shoes! Personally I prefer the semi-curved last- that is what my vision is when I think kidney bean shaped and it works for my feet. I would caution you about ordering shoes on-line without first checking them out in person. A good shoe store should have trained staff that really know their products and feet (you'll probably pay more for the superior service). There isn't a one-size-fit-all (ha!) when it comes to shoe and foot shapes. Ultimately, you want to find a shoe that supports you and gives you what your feet need (and feel good)- be that in a dress shoe, runner, or walking shoe. You can't force your foot into a kidney bean shape. That takes times and effort. Strengthening tibialis anterior and all those foot muscles that create and maintain the arches of your feet are always a good place to start. I hope that helps!